DURHAM, N.C. – Duke swimming and diving head coach Dan Colellaannounced the signing of five-year-old Brodie Curtis at a press conference held at Taishoff Aquatics Pavilion this week.

A native of Warren County, North Carolina, Brodie signed his draft day letter in the presence of his family and his newest teammates.

Brodie and the Blue Devils were connected through Team IMPACT, a national organization based in Boston that matches children battling serious and chronic illnesses with local college athletic teams. Children in the program are drafted to a team on a special signing day planned by their teammates.

According to Team IMPACT’s website, the mission of the organization is to help children and student-athletes build “meaningful relationships that have life-long, positive effects. Children are officially drafted to the team, and from there, become full-fledged members, attending practices, games, team dinners, events and more.” Brodie was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis in 2015.